Benny Dayal

Benny Dayal
Bollywood Hungama · CC BY 3.0 · source
Name	Benny Dayal
Birth date	13 May 1984
Birth place	Kozhikode
Occupation	Singer, performer
Years active	2003–present

Benny Dayal Benny Dayal is an Indian playback singer and performer known for work across Bollywood, Kollywood, Tollywood, Sandalwood and Malayalam cinema. He rose from college band roots to national prominence through collaborations with composers from A. R. Rahman to Pritam Chakraborty, blending pop, rock and filmi styles for films, concerts and advertising campaigns.

Early life and education

Benny was born in Kozhikode and raised in Vasco da Gama, Goa and Goa. He studied at St. Joseph's High School, Vasco before attending St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and later St. Xavier's College, Ahmedabad where he formed the band Mythological Exhumation and met future musicians associated with NH7 Weekender and Sunburn Festival. His early influences included exposure to artists and institutions such as The Beatles, Bob Marley, A. R. Rahman, Ilaiyaraaja and training environments referenced by alumni networks of IIT Bombay and University of Mumbai.

Musical career

Benny's professional trajectory began in bands performing at events tied to MTV India, Channel V and college festivals coordinated with organizations like Association of Indian Universities. He transitioned into studio work linked to production houses including Yash Raj Films, T-Series, Eros International and agencies working with composers like Vishal–Shekhar and Sachin–Jigar. His repertoire spans collaborations with film directors and producers from Karan Johar to Shankar and engagement with labels such as Sony Music India and Saregama.

Playback singing and notable songs

Benny gained mainstream attention with playback tracks composed by A. R. Rahman, including work on films associated with directors Mani Ratnam and Shankar. He recorded hit singles for Pritam Chakraborty in films produced by Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions. Notable songs include popular charting numbers connected to movies released by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Fox Star Studios that were frequently played on Radio Mirchi, Red FM and All India Radio. He also sang for multilingual projects involving Rajinikanth, Vijay, Mahesh Babu, Kamal Haasan and Mammootty.

Live performances and collaborations

As a live performer Benny toured with international festival circuits including appearances at events run by promoters such as Percept Live and LiveInStyle Entertainment and performed on stages alongside artists linked to Coke Studio India, MTV Bollyland and collaborative projects involving Shankar Mahadevan, Sukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Arijit Singh and Neha Kakkar. His collaborations extend to composers and arrangers including Harris Jayaraj, Devi Sri Prasad, G. V. Prakash Kumar, Thaman S and producers who have worked with Anirudh Ravichander and A. R. Rahman.

Awards and recognition

Benny has been nominated for and received accolades from institutions such as the Filmfare Awards South, Filmfare Awards, IIFA Awards and regional award bodies associated with Kerala State Film Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. His work earned recognition at industry events hosted by Radio City and endorsements from organizations including Limca Book of Records and festival honors at NH7 Weekender.

Personal life

Benny is married and has family ties to communities in Goa and Kerala. He has been involved in charitable and cultural initiatives linked to organizations like Smile Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation (India) and local arts promotion groups connected with municipal events in Mumbai and Kochi. He maintains professional associations with fellow alumni of St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and musician networks centered around studios in Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

Discography and filmography

Benny's discography spans recordings released by T-Series, Sony Music India, Saregama and Tips Industries for films produced by studios such as Yash Raj Films, Eros International, Reliance Entertainment and UTV Motion Pictures. His filmography includes playback credits in productions starring Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Vikram, Ajith Kumar, Allu Arjun, Prabhas, Dhanush, Suriya, Kiccha Sudeep and Upendra. He has also contributed vocals to advertising campaigns for brands associated with Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Vodafone India, Airtel and entertainment properties promoted by Viacom18.

Category:Living people Category:Indian playback singers Category:People from Kozhikode